A call to serve...Working for the public good... Empowering the disadvantaged. For many prospective students, these are key reasons for studying law, and Brooklyn Law School has always been a magnet for such civic-minded students. The Sparer Fellowship Program is at the heart of the Law School’s public interest community. Each year, 20 students are selected as Sparer Fellows, joining a group of nearly 50 Sparer Fellows in the Law School.

The core component of the Fellowship is a 10-week paid summer internship in a nonprofit organization. But the Fellowship encompasses much more than one summer’s worth of work. Throughout their law school careers, Sparer Fellows are involved in many public interest activities. They coordinate monthly luncheons that highlight specific public interest issues, plan the Program’s annual forums and symposia, and participate in the selection of prospective Fellows.

An important feature of the Program is its mentoring component. Sparer Fellows have access to a network of professional contacts, including alumni Fellows working in public interest law. They also have close contact with members of the Sparer Faculty Committee who advise the Fellows.

Summer Internships
The Sparer Program has placed its Fellows in a wide array of summer internships at leading public interest organizations across the United States, as well as abroad. See list of placements. Members of the Sparer Faculty Committee and the Director of Public Service Programs assist Fellows in finding a placement that matches their interests. The Fellows receive a stipend of $5,000 for their summer work, and funds are available to offset travel expenses when a fellowship is located outside of New York. See detailed information about summer internship stipend disbursement. The Fellowships provide students with valuable experience in state and federal litigation, drafting legislation, commenting on proposed laws and regulations, organizing communities, counseling clients, and negotiating with adversaries and government agencies.

Each fall Sparer Fellows fulfill one of their Fellowship responsibilities by presenting accounts of their summer internships in a public informational program. (These accounts are separate from the written evaluation required from each Fellow.) In discussing their internships, the Fellows educate their peers and the law school community about public interest law. See information session videos in which Fellows talk about their experiences.

Selection of Fellows
Sparer Fellowships are awarded annually to approximately 20 Brooklyn Law School students. A few students who have been admitted to the Law School and apply to the Program promptly after admission are awarded Fellowships in the spring before they begin their first year. Most Fellows are selected in their first or second years.

The applicant’s interest and commitment to public interest issues and demonstrated academic achievement are important selection criteria. Applicants must submit information about their scholastic and employment records, community service and outside activities related to public interest, a personal statement, and at least one letter of recommendation. The Sparer Fellowship Committee interviews finalists. Fellows are required to commit to active participation in the work of the Program.

Sparer Fellows must maintain a grade point average in the top half of their class. If a student receiving a Fellowship does not return to the Law School in the year following the Sparer placement and, therefore, cannot fulfill his or her responsibilities to the Program, the Law School requires repayment of the stipend, subject to appropriate arrangements.

How to Apply for a Fellowship
Interested students should apply for admission to the Law School and submit the Application for Sparer Public Interest Law Fellowship (PDF). For students applying for the Fellowship Program prior to matriculation, their admission application, with all supplementary documents required for admission, must be received by the Admissions Office no later than March 1 of the year in which enrollment is sought. The application for the Sparer Fellowship is due April 1.

The application for the Fellowship, including the required essay, the applicant's resumé, and any supporting letters of recommendation, must be sent separately to:

Charles Krause
Administrative Assistant to the Sparer Fellowship Program
Brooklyn Law School
250 Joralemon Street
Brooklyn, New York 11201

Note: All application materials, including letter(s) of recommendation, must be included in one packet.

Applicants must first be accepted for admission to Brooklyn Law School to be considered for a Sparer Public Interest Fellowship. Therefore, early filing of the admission application is strongly encouraged.

For students applying for the Fellowship Program in their first or second year of law school, applications are due in late October.

The Sparer Fellowship Program holds informational sessions in October at which application procedures are explained and Fellows discuss their work during the prior summer. See videos of program.

Further information about the Edward V. Sparer Public Interest Law Fellowship Program can be obtained by emailing or calling Elizabeth Kane. She can be reached at elizabeth.kane@brooklaw.edu or at (718) 780-0335.